Troopers see 7 fatalities on state highways over holidays
Dec. 27—JACKSON — State troopers issued more than 5,000 tickets and worked seven fatal wrecks over the four-day Christmas Holiday enforcement period.
The Mississippi Highway Patrol issued 5,294 citations, made 80 arrests for impaired driving, and investigated 160 crashes resulting in 36 injuries with seven fatal crashes and seven deaths. None of the deadly crashes occurred within the Daily Journal's 16-county coverage area; they took place in Attala, Clarke, Jefferson, Jones, Marion, Pearl River and Sunflower counties.
On Friday, Dec. 23, a Ford pickup left Highway 11 in Jones County around 3:30 p.m. and hit a tree. Joe Clayton, 51, of Hattiesburg, was pronounced dead on the scene. Around 4:45 the same afternoon, a Toyota Camry driven by Christopher Harris, 38, of Indianola, was southbound on Highway 49 in Sunflower County when the car left the road and flipped, killing the driver.
Saturday evening around 7:45, troopers responded to Highway 28 in Jefferson County. A Mitsubishi pickup left the road and hit a tree, killing Dennis Crump, 38, of Hazlehurst.
There were a pair of fatalities on Christmas day. The Chevy HHR driven by John Gwaltney, 23, of Kosciusko left Highway 35 in Attala County around 3:45 p.m. and overturned. Around 9:30 that Sunday night, Wilt Alford, 42, of Pachuta, was walking north on Highway 11 in Clarke County when he was hit by a car driven by Jalen Nixon, 18, of Vossburg. Alford was pronounced dead on the scene.
On Monday, Dec. 26, a Chevy Colorado left Highway 586 in Marion County around 3:15. The truck hit a utility pole and overturned, killing Charles Bass, 63, of Columbia. Around 9 p.m. the same night, the Toyota Tundra driven by William T. Jones, 37, of Picayune, left Highway 11 in Pearl River County, killing the driver.
All seven crashes remain under investigation by MHP.
